Eternity Dusk: The Faint Hope on the Pale Sky
by FinalKingdomXVII
Summary: Dusk comes to welcome the night. Dawn shines to give hope to a new day. For Doug, this is nothing but a bitter reminder of that crimson night. Ventuswill, the Sacred Dragon of Wind, has slaughtered his clan and the Sechs now present him with an opportunity to get revenge. He moves forward, to a path of fulfillment or a path of hatred.
1. Under the Stars: To be there Once Again

_"Doug, don't be so sloppy. Just pound the blade until you get the shape right."_

"_I got it, already! You don't have to repeat yourself, dad." Doug looked up from his Defender, which was nearing completion. This was his first project, and he was proud of how it turned out. You know, even if his dad had pretty much held his hand through the whole thing._

"_Now all you need to do is place it in the river."_

"_Why do I have to do that? It's already cooled down. Sounds like a waste of time to me." _

"_Come on now, you know why we have to. So the-"_

"_Blade can absorb the runes of the Earth, I know that! I don't know why it has to be in the river. It's so far away from the village." Doug complained._

"_That river is a sacred place. It runs right into Selphia, the place where Ventuswill lives. In fact, you could find Selphia just by following the bank."_

_Doug cautiously raised his sword, careful of the hot embers. "Yeah, as if the Sechs army would let you past the border."_

"_I guess so. Now, hurry to the river before the sun sets or you'll be late for dinner." He glanced outside to see the orange sky._

"_Oh crap, you're right!" Rushingly grabbing his rucksack, he ran out the door. "I'll be back soon!"_

…

"I'll… be back soon… Make sure Arya doesn't take all the rice…"

"Hey, kid get up!"

"Uhh!" A sharp kick awakened Doug. "Huh…?" He saw the grim look on the Sechs soldier's face and suddenly remembered where he was.

_Oh… that was just a dream. Dad and Arya and everyone are…_

"Quit dozing off, already! You've received your passport to cross the border."

"Hey, you're the one who kept me waiting for hours!" Doug quickly reprimanded.

"Shut up, dwarf!"

"Tch." Doug grabbed his passport from the soldiers' and headed out the door.

"Hold it."

"What now?! I've got ground to cover, and it'll take even longer since you won't give me a horse!" He was tense from sitting down from what seemed like days. A walk would quickly give him new energy.

"Anyone going on special missions for the King must wear this collar." In his hand was a decorated silver collar with emerald crafted in. Doug had never seen it before.

"Why do I- Hey!" Before Doug could finish, the soldier snapped the collar onto his neck. He instinctively tried to pry it off, but found it was locked on. "Grr… Why the hell do I have to wear this damn thing?!"

"Why don't I just show you?" The soldier pulled out a bracelet similar to Doug's collar. "Release!"

"Gah!" Electricity flowed directly into his veins, traveling to his entire body. "Stop, stop this damn thing!"

"I trust you realize the severity of your terms now, right? You infiltrate Selphia and fed us information on the Wind Dragon. Then you can kill her for your revenge or whatever. However, if you dare defy us, we activate that collar to release light runes into your body. At this level, it's not lethal but it must hurt a lot, right?"

"Damn you…" Doug could sense the smugness in his tone, and he hated it. But his hate could wait. The runes were swelling up in his body and the pain was unbearable. "T-Turn it off…!"

"Fine. My boss would have my head if you died. Dispel."

"Ha..ha…" Around his neck, he could feel deep burn marks. Doug had medicine in his rucksack, but assuming the burns were directly under the collar it would be impossible to treat. This only added to his pent up emotions.

"Now get out of here! It's almost dawn." The soldier left Doug to his thoughts.

"Dawn…" _It was dusk when it happened. All I could hear were those terrible screams…And now dawn has…_ "No. Dawn will never come for me. It never will for Dad or Mom or Arya… Not until I avenge their deaths. After all, I might as well be dead too."

…

"There it is! The river!" Doug was greeted by the dew soaked grass and the glistening turquoise water. It had taken a few hours for him to reach its bank, owing to his loss of energy. Doug reached down to the water and lightly splashed his face, then refilled his canteen. It had been a good thing his dad told him about the river. The Sechs had not told him any directions or even how to get to Selphia besides walk. "Dad…" His freshly tempered sword was sheathed around his left leg, ready for combat at any moment. "Heh. If I didn't have this, I wouldn't have even made it here."

Doug waded into the water, leaving his rucksack on the shores. He had to finish something before he left to the border. Doug struck the sword into the river, where the water consumed the entire blade. "Great Dragons of the Earth, please grant this sword the power to slay anyone who stands in my path." Not long after the incantation, he sheathed the Defender and started on his way. Doug didn't really believe in all that blessing stuff, and the only reason he did it in the first place was to honor his dad's request. And besides, Doug figured it would take at least three days to reach Selphia. And then there was what to do when he got there. This was a long-term mission, he knew, but where would he stay? How would the townsfolk react to him? These questions gnawed at him until he realized he hadn't eaten on over 24 hours.

"Oh crap, do I even have any food? Those Sechs should have at least let me buy some supplies. And I don't know any rest stops either, besides the border watch." Doug rummaged in his bag until he felt a familiar box wrapped in cloth. "This is-!" He took it out and opened the lid, revealing six neatly made onigiri. "Baked onigiri and Salmon onigiri. Oh, that's right. Mom made these for me."

"_Mom, I'm heading to the river!"_

"_Wait, Doug!" His mom called._

"_What, what? You know how far it is. I'm gonna have to press it just get there before the sun sets"_

"_I know. Take this, it'll give you energy." She presented her son with a box wrapped in green cloth._

"_Oh! You're the best Mom!"_

"Mom…" _Why did it have to turn out like this? Why did Ventuswill kill everyone?! Everything was just fine! But then… she … she-! "Damn it!_" Doug opened his eyes and saw his eyes swelling with tears. _No, I can't cry. I can't!_ To keep anymore tears from shedding, he took a bite out the salmon onigiri, but the taste of his mom's last dish for him only made him cry even more. "Damn it, _damn it!_"

He sat down on the silent river bank he ate another onigiri. For several minutes, he stayed on that sun drenched spot to process his emotions. Afterwards he placed the box into his rucksack, deciding to save it. Doug would have to forge for food eventually, but he wanted to make it last.

"Okay, I have to get going." He set out to Selphia, following the river as his dad had told him. It was high noon and the sun was being relentless on him. If Doug hadn't decided to wade in the river, he might of passed out by now. "Ahh… Perhaps I should stop to rest for a bit. It must be mid-afternoon by-" Doug paused and looked into the horizon. There was something there… A building? A tower? "The border watch! I must be half-way there now!" He ran off in a burst of excitement, but stopped when he realized his legs were soaking wet and his feet shriveled like a prune.

"Oh man, I almost ran in there like an idiot!" Doug stepped up to the shore and dried himself off with a piece of cloth. Completely dry, he reached in his rucksack and took out his passport. Doug read out what was in golden text on the back. "'This person is granted special permission from Lord Ethelberd to cross the border to Selphia from Summer 12 to Spring 1 of the following year as required of his special mission.' Tch, how generic. Although, special mission…" Doug remembered why he had that collar in the first place. To ensure his loyalty. "As if I would pass up a chance to avenge my tribe!" He thought back to when he saw the fire shortly after leaving.

"_What the-?!" Smoke was rising behind him, and he knew it was his village. "Mom! Dad! Arya!" Forgetting the sword blessing he ran towards the smoke until he saw what he dreaded. Destroyed houses and corpses._

"_No. No, no, no! Mom! Dad!"Doug frantically ran to the remains of his house, hoping his family is safe. "Where are you?!" He burst into the kitchen, and saw his mom on the floor, a pool of blood beside her. At the table was his younger sister, Arya, dripping blood from her ripped stomach. _

_Doug stood there, absolutely mortified at his family's corpses. "Mom… Arya… ! Dad!" He should be in the workshop! Cutting the corner into the workshop, he practically kicked the door down. Doug scanned the room, but stopped when a warm liquid covered his face._

"_W-Wha…?" Doug looked behind the door, and saw his dad with a spear piercing his stomach, blood streaming out into a crimson pool beside him. _

"_No… You can't be… You couldn't be…"_

_His tribe was dead. Everyone. His dad, his mom, his sister, his friends… This blood is his father's. I-It was on his face. The now cold liquid. Such horrendous things that had played out unseen to Doug, who was only spared by sheer chance…_

"_Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Doug's mind and heart snapped after everything from the last few minutes. His home, his family, his friends, someone took them. Someone stole them. Someone killed them._

"No, stop me! I can't dwell on that. Not until she's dead." Doug looked to the sun, deciding to go through the border.

…

"Passport." The gruffly soldier demanded.

"Here. Now let me through."

"Hm. I don't know why they gave you a passport. Anyone could recognize that Fos Ring."

"Fos Ring?" Doug tried once again to pry it off, but of course it wouldn't break. "That's what this damn thing is called."

"Don't bother, dwarf. There's no way to remove it without chopping your neck off." The soldier haughtily implied.

"Okay, I get it. This thing ain't coming off, so let me through already!" The line for the passport check must have been at least ten people long, and standing around with nothing to do made Doug agitated.

"I wouldn't use that tone when speaking to a Sechs soldier, kid."

"Oh yeah? Why not?!"

"I can activate your Fos Ring at any time."

"!"_ He can activate it?!_ The mere thought of that pain made Doug shudder, and he didn't want to go through that any time soon. "Fine. _Please _let me through." Doug said in a more subtle tone.

"Ha! That's much better. I guess you know how painful having runes pushed into your body is."

The soldier raised the gate which promptly closed once Doug left. In a huff of anger, Doug ran out of the guards' sight. "Damn it… I can't believe he made humble myself to him!"

"Hey, are you heading to Selphia?"

"Yeah. I heard it's pretty amazing there."

"With a Native Dragon living there, of course it is!"

_Those two are heading to Selphia. _Doug looked awry at the travelers, people without a heavy burden. _Was I like them? Just a day a go…_

"Well, we better stop by the general store before embarking."

"Yeah. It's a week's walk after all."

"General store?"

…

"Welcome!" The store clerk greeted.

"T-Thank you." Doug looked at the old women, who seemed very frail. She reminded him of the elders in his tribe.

"What would you like?" She warmly asked.

"Um… What do have for long travels? I'm short on supplies."

"We've got lots of rice and fresh vegetables. And some chocolate if you'd like something sweet!"

"No, I'm fine. I'll take five packages of rice… and some onions."

"Now, now that won't do! You're still a child. You need to eat if you want to grow. I'll give you something special." The old lady bend under the counter and took out a box similar to his mom's.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't pay for something like that."

"It's okay. I prepared this special for a child like yourself." She shoved the box into Doug's arm, adamant in giving it to him. "Now get going!'

"H-Hey!" Before Doug could comprehend what happened, he was pushed out to the barren road. _For a child like me? Was she expecting me? _Doug knew the Sechs liked to spread propaganda about their affairs, but he was on the Norad side. How could she have known? "I'll never be able to repay her."

_Anyway, I have to get moving. I should get there by Spring 17._

…

Halfway through his trek, Doug had finally reached the outskirts of the Autumn Lands. The wind was bitter, yet the sun still shined warmly on him. Brown leafs crunched at his feet, and soon Doug had reached an eerie mansion.

"Does someone live here?" He cautiously approached the unopened gate, and saw the full deteriorated state of the house. The wood was badly rotted, looking as if it could break away at any moment. "No, there's no way someone could live here now."

He turned to leave, only to hear the sound of faint music. It was a piano piece, and it sounded so sad. "_Please… Can you help Dolly?"_

"Who said that?!" Doug brandished his sword, looking around for the source of the voice.

"_Can you help Dolly?"_ A young girl appeared through the front door, wearing shades of pink and purple. "_Oh, I guess you can't help Dolly._

"Who's Dolly?"

"_Can you bring someone who can help Dolly?"_

"Um… Sure… I'll bring someone to help." It seem as if she wouldn't leave unless he agreed. "But it might take some time. What's your name?"

"_Pico. Please help Dolly; I'll wait however long it takes!"_

"How does she need help?"

"_I can't really explain it. Ask Ventuswill in Selphia, she'll explain everything."_

"As if I'll ask –"The girl had disappeared, leaving only her instructions to ask Ventuswill. "Tch. How weird… I guess I can slip that question if I stand being next to her for that long. Anyway, I need to get going."

…

"Selphia must be straight ahead." Doug stared the rising castle in the distance. Night had fallen once again, and his supplies were near depleted. Doug had made a short break a day after leaving the border check to enjoy what the store clerk had supplied him: A steaming Tempera rice bowl which just happened to Doug's favorite.

"The stars are up tonight. Just like last week…"

"_Hey Doug, I can see the stars!" His dad remarked._

"_No way! It's not even night yet Dad." Doug peered into the pale orange sky, trying to locate the early stars his dad spoke of._

"_Well I guess you just can't see them."_

"_No, you're just imagining things Dad."_

"…To be there once again…"

_Grrr…_

"Huh? Who's there?!"

_Gaaarrr!_

"Wh-Whoa!"


	2. Path of Dawn: Beginning of Mends

"_Dad, just admit it. There are no stars this early!" Doug insisted._

"_It's not my fault you can't see them!" His dad jokingly stated. "They're called the Dusks' Hopes."_

"_Dusks' Hopes? Never heard of them."_

"_Well, they're right up there! Legends say the four Native Dragons, eons ago, created these early stars to give people hope."_

'_How are a few stars showing up early supposed to give people hope?"_

"_I'll leave that for you to decide."_

…

"What… is that supposed to mean…?" Doug said groggily said in his sleep. "…Huh? W-Whoa!" Sprinting up in surprise, he say he was in a clinic.

"Oh! You're awake." A nurse, Doug assumed, in a blue dress said. "Are you still feeling pain? That was quite a fall you took."

"I fell?"

"It seems that way. Forte, the town's Dragon Knight, found you bleeding and unconscious in some bushes." The young lady explained.

"Oh. I see." _I guess I was caught off guard by a monster._

"Actually, you were bleeding so much our doctor fainted when Forte brought him in!"

"The _doctor _is afraid of _blood?!_" Doug exclaimed, unnerved by her statement.

"I know. Seems pretty unbelievable. But after I washed you off, he took proper care of you."

"… Well, thank you. I'll leave if I'm better now." Doug shifted his legs off the bed, and saw they were heavily bandaged but still continued to locate his rucksack.

"Wait, Jones still needs to look at you!" She pleaded.

"I have to head to Selphia." Doug explained. "So I have to go now."

"Hmm… Well, you don't have to worry if you're heading to Selphia. You're already there!"

"R-Really?!" _Wait, I collapsed outside of Selphia. So of course I'd end up here._

"Nancy, are you there?" A frail, old voice called. Soon, an old lady walked in with a cane.

_I had prepared this for a child like you._

Doug was immediately reminded of the generous shop clerk back at the border clerk, who had provided him with a meal free of charge.

"Is this the child that Forte brought in last night?"

"Yes. This is… Oh, I forgot! I didn't even get your name, did I?"

"It's Doug. I've traveled here from…"_I can't tell them I come from the Sechs Empire._

"You don't have to say where you're from if you don't want to. More importantly, do you have a place to stay? It's not healthy for you to stay at the clinic." She said warmly, saving Doug from an awkward moment.

"No, not really."

"Than you can stay with me, if you like." The old lady proposed.

"Wha-?!" Doug said, surprised at her offer.

"I think that's a great idea. You were heading to Selphia, right?" Nancy agreed."What were you planning to do here, anyway?"

Doug's mind flashed to the events of the prior day, reminded of his tribe's death and the collar. "I guess… you could say I came here to start over. Begin a new life."

…

"Here's your room, Doug." Blossom, the name of the old lady Doug found out, show him to a modest room with a bed and several shelfs.

"Thank you."

"I trust you'll be helping me with the general store, right?"

"Of course." The two had agreed on generous terms. Blossom would allow Doug to stay with her so long as he helped in the generals store. Of course, Doug knew she was ill and needed help period.

"You know, you should lighten up Doug!" Blossom said. "It's not good for a child to be sulking all the time either."

She showed a warming smile to Doug, making him look away blushing.

_Why is she being so nice to me? I'm a total stranger, and yet she offers me a home and a job. Are all the people in Selphia like this?_

"When you're done unpacking, I'll introduce you to the townsfolk. They're a lively bunch and I'm sure they'll welcome you."

"O-Okay…" And with that, Blossom left her new helper to settle in. When Doug was sure she had closed the door, he sat on the bed and rummaged through his rusksack to grab a picture frame. The glass was smashed, fulfilling its purpose of keeping the picture safe.

_This… This small memory is all I have left of my old life. I took it for granted, and now that it's gone…_

Doug stared at the photo, displaying his family outside their house. It held many fond memories for him, but he knew those were just memories. Pieces of the past he needed to discard if he was to move on. But the thing is… he can't. Letting go would be far more painful then either the Ether Ring or losing his family. It's all he has left… and all he can afford.

"New relationships… aren't needed."

…

"I'll introduce you to the neighbors first, Doug." Blossom explained while caringly grasping his hand.

"Right…"

"WELCOME!"

"Gaah!" Doug was suddenly grasped into a near death hug by what looked like an old man. "H-Hey-! I-I can't breathe!"

"Volcanon-sensei, please release him!" A young blue-haired boy wearing a suit similar to the one grasping Doug ran up. "Please, you're crushing him!"

"My alpologies." Volcanon released his grasp on Doug. "I just got so emotional when I saw the new resident."

"You get… emotional… about everything…zzz." The lavender haired girl trailed off.

"Please, Clorica, don't asleep."

"Sorry…" Slowly, she opened her eyes had saw Doug, visibly annoyed at the three. "My name is Clorice. I'm a butler in the castle. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Vishnal. I strive to be the greatest butler there is!" He announced with fiery eyes.

"Right… I'm Doug." The dwarf hesitantly said. "I'll be working at the General Store."

"Very good. Blossom could always use more help." Volcanon stated. "Anyway, nice to meet you. You should meet Lady Ventuswill as well. She will be delighted to see you."

"Ventuswill…?!"

"_Who did this?! Tell me who did this! Who killed my family?!" Doug demanded, strongly grasping the soldiers' collar._

"_Get off me, kid! Lord Ethelberd will tell you soon!"_

"_That's not good enough! Tell me right now!"_

"Is something wrong?" Vishnal asked, seeing Doug's expression.

"No… I'm fine. L-Let's go, Blossom." Doug, still recalling the past, hastily walked off.

"Very well. See you later, Volcanon."

"Of course!"

…

"Well what do we have here!" The young looking elf exclaimed. "A new face of which I do not recognize. I am the great detective, Illuminata! Now, who are you?!"

"…My name is Doug."

"I see! A new case opens as I attempted to pry your past open!"

"What?!" Doug argrily said, appaled at the idea of someone trying to piece his past together.

"Ha ha! Juust kidding." She kidded. "However, I have uncovered a new case!"

"And what is that?" Blossom implored.

"To uncover the mysterious dwarfs' smile!"

…

"I see. Doug is it?" Forte asked. "It is good to see you well. I was very surprised to see such a heavily injured dwarf on the outskirts of town."

"Who knows what would have happened if Forte didn't find you?" Kiel, Forte's younger brother, said.

"…I'm fine now…"

"Please contact me if you require my assistance. I will be happy to assist." The knight assured.

"And if you have any questions about the town, please come to me!"

"Okay… thanks." Doug was perplexed as to why they were so friendly to him. Why were they extending their hand to a stranger? A question, Doug later found, that would eventually answer itself with time.

…

"Hello, Doug! Nice to you. I'm Maragret. I live right by the general store, on the cliff." She warmly greeted.

"Right." Doug observed her character, noticing she was an elf among other things. Her hair was elaborately decorated with strings and and strings, her outfit equally detailed.

"I work at the resterant, so just come to me if you need any help, okay?"

…

"Okay, is that everyone?" Doug impatiently asked. Blossom had walked through the entire town for hours, and he was exhausted. He had met everyone in town, including a strange chef and a blacksmith who was a dwarf like him.

"There's still one last person."

"And who's that? I just want to go to sleep already…" Doug stared foundly into the falling sun, wondering if it would ever rise for him.

"Lady Ventuswill, of course. She'll be pleased to meet you." Blossom answered.

In lieu of the events of the day, Doug had completely forgotten that his clan's killer lived in this town.

"Now come on, she's in the castle." She lead Doug through the streets into the towering white castle.

Suddenly, Doug felt dread overwhelm him. His mind flashed in and out of reality, painfully reliving seeing his familys' fate. Could he really meet her and not lash out in blind anger and hatred? His father's Defender was still sheathed on his leg. Doug could end this now and forget about the Sechs' spy mission.

_Should I just kill her now? Can I kill her now?_

"…No. Not yet." Doug answered.

"What was that, Doug?"

"N-Nothing." They entered a white arched doorway to be greeted by a looming green Dragon. Doug looked in awe as she took notice.

"Good day, Lady Ventuswill. I would like you to meet Doug, my new helper."

"I see. It is nice to make your acquaintance." Ventuswill said in a bellowing voice.

"Uh…" Doug just stood there, in surprising awe of what he thought was his clan's killer. There was nothing scary about her. She just looked like a noble dragon in every sense.

_She's the one who killed everyone?_

…

"Are you ready to go home yet, Doug?" Blossom, once out of the castle, asked. It was clear she was exhausted as well.

"Yeah, let's-" His speech froze, seeing the person behind a distant building. He was holding up a bracelet that Doug immediately recognized. "A-Actually, I still want to look around a bit more. You go home first and I'll come back later."

"Are you sure? Very well." With that, Blossom took her leave to the general store.

Doug peered over to the building again, and the person was gone. Where he stood , however, was a note saying 'Here the Summer fish gather even at the coldest frost'.

…

"Glad you figured it out, dwarf."

" It was pretty obvious, genius. 'Here the Summer fish gather even at the coldest frost', means Selphia lake. It's famous for having Summer season fish all year-round. I heard around the village here and there." Doug sported his best serious face, in the presence of another Sechs spy.

"Didn't want to make it too difficult or I'd be standing here all day. Ain't that right, dwarf?" The soldier scowled.

"Hey, I have a name you bastard!"

"Don't get brash around me. Anyway, this is where I'll be meeting with you. Give your report to me then."

"Okay. That it? I'm leaving." Doug turned to leave, too impatient to wait for an answer.

"Wait, you idiot! Give me your first report. You've meet Ventuswill already, so give us any details you got from that." He yelled to Doug.

"What? Come on, all I did then was say hi. Didn't learn anything then. I'm leaving."

…

Looking fondly again at his picture frame, Doug laid back on his bed. The meeting had been quick, but meaningful. He has now seen the face of his target, but he knew he couldn't reveal himself now. That would make his heart feel even more raw and torn. Doug slowly realized he had real plan of how to enact his revenge. His only choice was to follow the Sechs plan.

Outside the window, night had fallen, the stars still elegantly glowing. Just like the early stars his dad claimed to have seen…


	3. Perpetual Dusk: Light Arises

Sunlight streamed through the window, landing softly on Doug's closed eyes. It was the last day of Spring, only a few days after Doug had arrived. Blossom had excused him from the General Store so he can settle in more easily. He had refused at first, but Blossom had stubbornly insisted to work the store by herself for a few more days.

Things, at first, began awkwardly between him and the townsfolk. Well, at least to him. Many times someone would try to strike a conversation with him to learn more about his personality, or the more dreaded topic; His past. Doug had thought he made it completely clear his past was off-limits to everyone, but that didn't stop them. This stubbornness only made him more sullen and people had at least picked that up. Several others like Illuminata and Kiel had also noticed Doug never smiled, and has made various attempts to catch a glimpse of his softer side.

People like that confused Doug. Going to such extremes for him, what was the point? Were they really just trying to be nice?

…

"Good morning, Granny." Doug groggily said.

"Good morning. This will be your first day working at the General Store, so get ready."

"Okay…" He replied, his eyes still a pale hue. Doug was somewhat sad that his free days were over, but he didn't want to freeload either.

"The first thing I need you to do is deliver a few things. Flour for Forte and Kiel, corn for Illuminata, and some oil for Porcoline." Blossom pulled out a light brown bag, filled with groceries. "After that, I'll teach you how to take stock."

"Okay." Doug secured the bag into his arms, making certain it was snug. "I'm off."

…

"Oh! Thanks for delivering this, Doug." Kiel smiled brightly as he received his order. "Now I can finally bake that cake for Forte."

"Right. Bye." Doug bluntly said.

"H-Hey, wait Doug!" Kiel called out for the rushing dwarf.

"What?"

"After you're done working, why don't you come over my house? Vishnal is coming too."He politely invited.

'You're inviting me over?" Now Doug was even more perplexed. "Why?" His eyes narrowed in deep suspicion.

"Well, you always seem so sad."Kiel , blushing, explained. "And I don't think any of us has ever seen you smile before. I just thought, you know, we could help you loose up a bit."

_He really is being nice, isn't he? _"…Too busy. Sorry." Doug turned and walked away, leaving Kiel on his doorstep.

"I'll see you there, okay!"

…

"Oh my, its closing time isn't it?" Blossom realized.

"18:00. Guess I'm off then." He hurryingly walked towards the door. "I'm going out for a bit, Granny."

"Heading to a friends' house?"

"…No."

…

"Good evening, Doug!" Vishnal greeted as he walked to Kiel's room, where he sat reading a book on his bed.

"I'm glad you came! Not too busy after all, huh?"

"M-My schedule just happened to clear up. That's all." Doug said as his face turned red. "Well, now what?"

"I wanted to start by asking you a few questions."

"Questions?!" _Is that what he's after?_

"Yeah. Trivial questions. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I'll share a bit about myself first." Kiel suggested.

"Okay then. Start."

"Let's see… Oh! My dad was a Dragon Knight before he gave that title to Forte. She's been taking care of me ever since, although I take care of all the cooking and cleaning. I like sweets, and so does Forte, but she doesn't like to admit it. Funny, huh? Our favorite is chocolate cake. It's the perfect mix of two already great sweets, chocolate and cake! I read lots of books, so I know lots of stuff. People also tell me I'm quite proficient in magic, healing and attacking. I can use magic staffs and swords when I go into scary caves or dark forests. Right now I'm working on my sword skills, so Bado made me an enchanted sword that can make me a master in four months! Awesome, right?" He openly shared.

"That was… quite a bit." Doug said, astonished at his openness.

"So, um, can I can ask you few questions now? I want to know all about the people in Selphia. Like how old are you? Do you know how to forge? And what clan do you come from?"

"Uh… I'm fifteen and no, no one taught me yet. I've been lightly exposed to it, I guess." He hesitantly answered.

"Oh, I see. I was expecting you were older than me. But you are the only dwarf I've met who doesn't know how to forge."

"You've met others?"

"Yeah. Travelers come in here all the time. I see all kinds of people every day." He explained. "So, anyway, how do you like this town?"

"Oh, its okay I guess." Doug mentally sighed, relieved Kiel didn't notice he hadn't noticed he didn't answer the last question. Him learning Doug was from a Sechs tribe might set off an unfortunate chain of proceedings that could led to the truth. But something like that could happen at random, too. Like some kind of town event.

"Glad to hear that." Vishnal spoke out. "As a butler of the castle, please let me help you however you can."

"Really? Then can you tell me what you know about Ventuswill?"

"Lady Ventuwill? Why?"

"I just want to know."

"Well, she's very kind. I can cause an incident of grand scale in her presence, but she'll never be mad at me!" Vishnal passionately declared. "She cares deeply for the prosperity of Selphia, and I will gladly help her in any way!"

"Oh. R-Really?" _That's exactly the opposite of what the Sechs told me. _"Has she ever left Selphia for a day or two, rather recently?"

"Um, no. I don't even recall her ever leaving actually."

…

Doug slumped on his bed, wary of the day's events.

_What do you mean Ventuswill never left? That can't be true…_

His mind boggled with confusing thoughts, perplexed at what Vishnal had said that day.

"What the hell's going on here? They can't both be right…"

…_._

Days past. Soon, an entire season had gone. Doug adapted to life at Selpia, but still not opening up completely to others. During that time, he tried his best to get any information in Ventuswill. The task itself was simple, but doing it without garnering too much attention was the hard part. Doug would often use being new to the town as cover, but some still found it suspicious that he didn't have what seemed like basic knowledge for a resident of Norad. Some especially astute tourists, for example, and Forte found this strange but more than often did they just blow it off as paranoia.

The Sechs soldier sent to check on him, of which seemed to have Sechs soldier as his actual name, was most times unhappy with Doug's meager info. Even when Doug had discovered major things, the soldier would activate the Fos Ring for maybe ten minutes at the very least, and drew delight watching him wreath in pain. Several times, the next day after he had visited, Doug had to pull his shirt collar higher to hide the blood and burns. Hiding the pain was even harder.

Of course, that didn't mean he didn't slightly enjoy himself with the residents of Selphia. Like on his birthday, which was the only bit about himself he shared with Blossom. She grew to like Doug like a grandson.

…

"Doug, today's your birthday isn't it?" Blossom brought at the store, early in the morning.

"Oh, um, yeah. I guess it is." Doug hesitantly answered. He hoped Blossom wasn't planning to do some party for him, as this was the first birthday he would spend without his family. Last years' party was still clear in his mind, and it made him sad since it was now an irretrievable memory.

"Well then, why don't you take the off today?"

"But I still have to organize the new shipment, and-"

"Come now Doug, it's your birthday! Go out and enjoy yourself. I can handle the new shipment by myself."

Doug heard her stubborn tone, and he knew he had lost this argument. "All right already, I'll take the day off okay?"

…

He strolled slowly down the streets, unsure of what to do. It was only eight when Blossom had forced him out, meaning everyone was still inside.

"Sheesh, what am I going to do?" Doug kicked aside a few pebbles, and soon spotted Kiel in his doorstep.

"Forte, remember it's at 19:00 in the restaurant."

"Yes I know. Now close the door, you're letting a chill in!"

"O-Oh, sorry!" Kiel quickly clicked the door shut.

"What's at 19:00?" Doug asked.

"Huh-Ahh! D-Doug!" Kiel shouted, surprised at his sudden appearance. "How long were you there?"

"Long enough to know there's something at the restaurant at 19:00. Are you guys planning something?" Doug eyed Kiel suspiciously.

"W-Well, um, y-you see…"

"What is it?"

"It's just…"

"Kiel! I've been looking for you!" Nancy took Kiel by the arm, surprising them both. "Jones needs you right away."

"Okay!" Kiel said with a look of relieve. "See you later Doug!"

"Right…" He looked warily on as Nancy dragged Kiel to her shop. Doug was almost certain they were planning a party for him. Now he just has to decide whether to go with it or reprimand them for this attempt. "Ah, whatever. They can do what they want , I guess. Not that I'll like it…"

…

"Alright, Doug, here you are! Tempera Bowl, fresh from the pot." Porcoline presented him with the bowl of steaming rice topped with fried tempera. "It smells so nice… I wonder if it's properly cooked… I should taste it a little…"

Doug saw that sinister gleam in Porco's eye and quickly took the bowl away. "Hey, I'm not paying for this if you eat it!"

"Oh, so sorry Doug." Margerate pulled Porco to the side by his ear, intent on a good scolding. "Porco, how many time have I told you not to eat the customer's food? Especially right in front of them!"

"But it looked so good…"

"No!" Margarate glanced at Doug, seeing the same detached look he has every day. Sometimes she just wishes she could help him with whatever's bothering him, but she knew Doug would never let her. "Please, enjoy your meal."

"H-Hey…" Doug nearly whispered.

"Huh? What?"

"Why… Why are you and everyone else so nice to me?"

"What?" She stood perplexed at this sudden question, while also noticing Porco had retreated to the kitchen.

"You've only known me a few weeks… You know nothing of my past, but you still treat me so nicely… How can you possibly give a complete stranger such kindness?!" Doug cracked, raising his voice. Realizing his outburst, he lowered his voice again to a near whisper. "Why… When I'll just cause you trouble…"

_Gotcha. _"Why you ask? It's actually pretty simple, really. It's because…"

…

Leaning on the tower railroad, Doug slowly accessed what Margaret's answer was.

"_Why you ask? It's pretty simple, really. It's because… we can clearly see what kind of person you are. The amount of time you know someone doesn't define how you should treat people. It's that person's heart that should decide that. And if I can't see that person's heart, I just try to pry it open by getting to know them. Of course, actions and reactions don't tell you the entirety of what that person is. Only the person themselves can tell you that."_

"_But I haven't told you anything yet, so how can you be so sure of what kind of person I am?" Still perplexed, he asked._

"_Because I can see your heart clearly, from the moment I saw you. I'm sure everyone else can too. And even if you do end up hurting someone, we'll just forgive you. That's just how the people of Selphia are."_

"They can see my heart? Impossible, I've been as distant as I possibly can, yet…" Doug stared off into the afternoon sky. It was 14:00, still five hours away from his supposed surprise party. Wondering what else to do, something peaked his curiosity in the corner of his eye. All of the customers in the restaurant were suddenly vacating the building, and he saw Maragrate apologetically bowing for the incontinence.

"This is turning into quite an eventful birthday, huh Arya?" He spoke softly to his sister, whom he recalled had always made such a big fuss over birthdays, especially his.

"_Hey, brother, what should we do today?" Arya excitedly asked his brother._

_Doug turned away from the chopped word, seeing his sister's bright red hair shine in the sunlight. "Well, we could go to the river. Where those red flowers are."_

"_Oh yeah! Those were so pretty last year. But they always wither away so quickly… You're lucky they're in season during your birthday, Brother"_

"_Oh really? Well, we can go after I'm done, okay?"_

"The blood crimson blossom only blooms during my birthday, huh? How fitting…" From where Doug could see, the last of the customers had left the restaurant. Deciding not to pay it any heed, at least for now, he descended the Observatory. "Maybe I can find some of those."

As he walked towards the town gate, Doug noticed the streets were empty except for the usual tourists. Perhaps everyone was at the restaurant or something.

…

18:40, in the evening, Doug lie on the bank of the river that guided him towards Selphia. He looked intently into the purple sky, the Sun falling in the horizon. The sound of the river caressed his mind, soothing him from today's annoyances.

Doug had indeed found the crimson blossoms his sister Arya had loved, but nearly all were wilted or dead. Only one was well and alive. Seeing the one survivor, he retreated from the site. It was all too reminiscent for him, of what happened just one season ago.

"One alone survives the carnage of hate. Arya, tell me, what'll happen to that sole survivor? He's lost everything, his only reason for living to avenge the one that caused the carnage. But what's to happen after?"

_I know you can't give me any answers, Arya, and you probably wouldn't agree with what I'm doing. After all, you always hated the Sechs. But I have to do this. So, for now, I'll put you and mom and dad in the back of my mind for now. I'll see that your killer gets punished, and then, I'll see you. With the crimson blossoms you loved._

"Hey, Doug!" A voice called, interrupting his thoughts. It ran closer, and Doug saw it was Kiel. "I finally found you!"

"What do you want?"

"You should come to the restaurant, right now!"

"Why?"

"Just, please, come!" Kiel swiftly seized Doug by the arm, pulling him towards Selphia.

"H-Hey! That hurts! Let go, I'll walk!" He released his grip, and allowed Doug to walk behind him.

_So this is really gonna be a surprise party for me? Well, it's not gonna be much of a surprise._

…

19:00, Kiel held the door at the restaurant. He had rushed Doug to come, barely making the time space. "Come inside, Doug."

On the other side of the door, Doug found it completely dark but Kiel urged him in yet. Stepping inside, he readied himself for a few people to come out and screamed 'Happy Birthday' at him. And, well, that's exactly what happened.

"Happy Birthday, Doug!" The lights flashed on, revealing everyone inside, much to his surprise.

"E-Everyone's here?!" This caught him of guard; He was only expecting Blossom and a few others. But the whole town?!

"Of course everyone's here." Blossom said. "They wanted to make sure your first birthday here was perfect."

"So I came up with the idea of a surprise party! You were surprised, weren't you?" Kiel obliviously said.

"O-Oh, yeah, I sure was." Doug stood dumbfounded by it all, unsure of what to make of this.

"Come on, you should see your cake before Porco eats it all!" Kiel, aided by Vishnal, pulled him to the table where the most people were buzzing around. Doug saw a white cake with blue frosting was laid there, and he saw his name sprawled on the top.

"Wow, that's an awesome cake." He sincerely remarked. "It's really for me?"

"Of course it is. Now let's sing and then eat cake, everyone!" All at once, everyone begin sing Happy Birthday to him in different intervals, making him to laugh a bit. Doug liked this joyful atmosphere. Even more, he liked being surrounded by people that cared for him once more. He soon entered a self induced euphoria for the rest of the night, loosening up somewhat. They spent the remaining dark hours partying, talking, and just playing around.

It was all so fun. But there was one thing that prevented him from fully enjoying himself… A constant reminder that would never go away…

The Fos Ring locked on his neck.


	4. Fallen Sky:The One Who Awakened Memories

5Rune Factory 4: Unforgotten Past

Chapter 4

Fallen Sky: The One Who Awakened Memories

Nearly three years has now passed since Doug first arrived. Since then, he has loosened up considerably to the villagers. He is now close friends with Kiel and Vishnal, visiting his house regularly.

Some days, Doug completely forgets his original reason for coming to Selphia. Living with Blossom has given him content, at least for now. And the strange thing is the Sechs have been leaving him alone. The last time they asked for a report was two weeks ago. Perhaps Ethelberd had deemed Ventuswill to be no longer a threat and intended to leave him here. In some ways, Doug has fine with this. He could just live peacefully in Selphia with Blossom and the others forever… but others times, he remembered in excruciating detail what got him here in the first place. His clan's death still hung heavy on his heart, and his senses could still feel the pain of that night.

Doug conflicted with his feeling of wanting to simply move on and live in Selphia and getting revenge on Ventuswell for days. Until… the usual Sechs soldier came to check on him. This time, not for an update on his current standing for the mission, but to deliver news.

…

Behind the store counter, Doug stood petrified at what lie behind the window. It was the usual Sechs knight Ethelberd would send to retrieve his report, disguised as a tourist. He recognized him immediately once he saw his scowl, making him stick out amongst the others. Appearing suddenly after more than two weeks, Doug had a bad feeling about this.

"Hey, Granny. I'm stepping out for a bit, okay? There's this errand I have to run for Kiel."

"Very well, hurry along now." Blossom warmly said with a soft smile.

"Thanks." The soldier had disappeared from the window, but Doug knew where he was. Far into Selphia Plains, near the pond where there was always summer fish. The soldier had picked this place as it was a distance away from the town, but Doug could still slip out and return without raising anyone's suspicions.

"About time you showed up." The soldier hastily greeted.

"What do you want? If it's Ventuswill, then I haven't made any progress, okay?"

"No, I didn't come for that. I came to give you some information."

"Okay, then. Start talking." Doug sullenly crossed his arms, hoping Blossom was holding out alright back at the shop.

"Firstly, I will cease making frequent report checks, opting instead to only a couple times per season."

_Some good news at least. Now I don't have to worry about making a story that will please his royal highness._

"Secondly, we have recently received reports that a girl possessing a Rune Sphere will be coming to this area on an airship."

"A Rune Sphere? What's that?" Slightly confused, Doug thought it sounded like a children's fairy tale.

"A concentrated mass of runes created by Earthmates. You know who Earthmates are, right dwarf?"

"People who have a special connection to the Earth."Doug quickly answered, a bit angered that the soldier thought him ignorant.

"Right. We're sending a few soldiers to stowaway on their airship and steal the Rune Sphere. Lord Ethelberd has commanded that you participate in this mission."

"Why me? I already have my mission, to spy on Ventuswill. Don't give me anymore objectives than I need." _He's treating me like some certified Sechs soldier. I'm not even an official spy, and he expects me to just do whatever that crazy emperor tells me to do?_

"The decision has already been made. You are to sneak aboard the deliverer's airship and steal the Rune Spheres in the name of Emperor Ethelberd."

"Hey, I'm not going to become a thief just cause Ethelberd said so!" At this point, Doug was becoming very agitated at the soldier's persistence. "Get it into your thick skull that I'm not going on that mission."

"All your time here sure hasn't changed your attitude, huh dwarf? I should've known I'd have to use my usual methods on you." From his back pocket, he grabbed an all too familiar bracelet. "Last time you withstood level 5 for 45 minutes before I got you to talk, right? That means you've gotten used to it. Level 6 probably won't faze you much either."

"What are you getting at…?" Slowly, terror swelled up in Doug's body as he realized what the soldier was saying. He clearly remembered the event the soldier was referring to, when Granny had said Ventuswill always ate a certain kind of herb. Doug had refrained from reporting it, but was eventually forced out by the Fos Ring.

_I only held out that long last time because that info included Granny Blossom! It was mostly through dumb luck that I didn't fall into a coma, and anything higher may seriously give me noticeable wounds._

"If you don't go on that mission, I'll set your Fos Ring on Level 7. And I'll tell you now; Level 7 is when lasting… injuries can occur." He scowled from a wide smirk.

"W-What?! You want to kill me that badly?!" Doug could sense his situation getting worse with each second. Running wasn't an option; He could activate the collar anywhere he was. But going on a thieving mission didn't look any better. What could he do to get out of here?

"No, I'm not going to kill you. My commander would have my head if I did. But instead…"

"What?"

"Your Fos Ring."

"M-My Fos Ring?" The mention of their shock collar made Doug uneasy, and he hoped that it wasn't anything bad. "What about it?"

"I'll attach a new component to it."

"What? Why?!"

"Uh, I'm so tired of your whining, dwarf. It'll be so much easier to things this way." The soldier took a white bracelet from beneath his chain mail sleeve, prompting Doug into alertness. He pressed the blue jewel in the center, causing it to glow an ethereal light.

"What are you-"Suddenly, Doug's knees buckled causing him to collapse to his legs. His arms lamely drooped to the ground with his head following, tilted all the way that his chin is now touching his chest.

_I can't move…!_

All feeling from his body vanished, leaving him kneeling on the ground like a fallen puppet with no strings. From his blankening eyes, he saw a hand reach down to the lining of his chin to roughly pull his head from his chest. Of course, Doug couldn't actually tell if it hurt or not, but he knew there'd be a new ache in a few hours.

"Can't move a muscle, can you dwarf?" The soldier said from a wide smirk. The remark made Doug burn on the inside, but the flame that was his sense of feeling was fading frighteningly fast. "I have another appointment, so I'll get this over with."

Doug wanted to retort to his comment, but his mouth wouldn't move. The soldier removed one of his gloved hands from Doug's chin, grabbing two silver rounded plates from his pocket. He quickly thought that that was most likely for his Fos Ring, but he didn't have much time to linger on it as the soldier released his other hand, allowing Doug's head to drop.

Slowly now, his eyes closed, hearing the faint sound of a click. But Doug couldn't focus on that now. All he could think about was the fading feeling of consciousness … and resurgence of buried memories…

…

"… Arya… don't get lost… where are you…?" Doug mumbled quietly in his trance-like sleep, illuminated by the bright yellow light of the Sun. "…Uh…?"

He groggily sat up, seeing it was now late afternoon. "Oh, right. My Fos Ring." His hand reached to feel the silver metal, and found a new piece intergrated into the collar. It must have of been that metal plate he had on him, but he couldn't make certain of it. What he did know was that it would be even harder to hide it under his shirt. "Uh, forget about that, I have to get back to the shop. It must have been a couple hours since I left. But I swear I'm gonna pound that jerk to an inch of his life next time I see him!"

Starting on his way back, Doug ran at an even pace through Selphia. Soon the gates descended upon him, entering the main plaza. He made a direct path to Sincerity General Store, finding no customers but Blossom.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about stepping out for so long." Doug stepped in, ready for a sound scolding but instead saw Blossom with an unfamiliar girl. She was probably around his age, and had hair as long as Forte's.

Noticing Doug, the girl turned to see him. "Oh, hello. Do you live here?" Her eyes were soft, kind, with a hidden hue of confusion. Her features fragile, yet strong in a sense. She looked so familiar, so soothing… almost…**The spitting image of Arya.**

_That face, those eyes, even the air about her, she's exactly like Arya! But at the same time, she feels more ethereal. Like she's hiding a surging power…_

"Y-Yeah. Who are you?" _How can this be?!_

"My name is Frey. I sort of dropped into Selphia today. Nice to meet you."

"Y-Yeah. I'm Doug. I work here on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Nice to meet you." Doug flashed a smile at the new arrival, wanting to make her feel welcomed but at the same time largely frightened.

"…" Doug let his smile fall for a minute, looking closely at Frey. _He said someone was delivering the Rune Spheres to Selphia today. Could it be her? If she is, it doesn't seem like she has them on her. But why her? Why did they pick someone with her face?!_

_Big brother, come home safely. I'll always be with you… into the shining dawn… into the eclipsing dusk… I'll be __**right here**__…_

"Arya?!" Doug whispered, surprised. Arya's voice had slipped into his mind. A fragmented memory? A shard of regret?

"Ar…ya? Who's that, Doug?" Frey questioned.

"Huh? O-Oh, no one. Just the name of a tourist who came in yesterday." _Hearing her say Arya's name is even more nostalgic._

"I see. It's a pretty name. That comes from the name of a blood-red flower, right?"

"R-Really? Wait a minute, I thought you had amnesia! How do you know something like that?" Doug would be furious if she just said that on a whim.

"Um, well, that just popped into my mind. The blood-red flower, which blooms only for a few days in late Autumn…"

_**It's really beautiful, don't you think big Brother? You're so lucky… it blooms on your… birthday… so lucky…**_

_That voice again! Is Frey causing that?!_

"Well, I think I've interrupted the two of you enough. I'll let you return to the shop." Frey waved a goodbye, turning towards the door.

"Come back anytime. You are always welcome as our customer and friend." Blossom said caringly.

"…" _Arya… This has to be a coincidence, right?_

…

For the next week, Doug simply looked from afar at Frey as she settled into Selphia. She would be busy with her farm work all morning, as she had told him once. Frey became a frequent shopper at the general store, often for turnip and potatoes seeds, and a quick friend to everyone at town.

But Doug couldn't help but feel uneased around her. It was as if Arya had come back to life. Another remainder to him of what had happened. Three years ago, during the earth's renewal of Spring, everything was dyed crimson. Everything fell apart. When things had finally begun to sew itself together, something had to come and tear it apart again.

…

"Hey, lucky for you we're having a 10% off sale today." Doug informed Frey at the counter.

"Oh, good. I'm running a bit low on gold right now and the last harvest only got me 2000 g. That's enough to plant another field, but if I don't find another source of money other than crops, I'll be in trouble. Especially after Jones took almost half of my money after I fainted in Yokmir Forest." Frey lamented her troubles to Doug, tired after the morning's work.

"I see, so Jones landed a big bill on you. He charges a lot, but he is good at what he does." He dropped below the counter and grabbed ten turnips seeds, Frey's order. "Why were you in Yokmir Forest?"

"Well, that's sort of hard to explain." Frey spoke as she calculated the cost of the seeds. "When I was looking around outside the castle, I saw these really pretty butterflies."

"Butterflies?"

"Yeah, they were all sorts of colors and they lead me to Yokmir Forest." She spoke slowly, remembering their entrancing appearance. "Unfortunately, the monsters inside were a bit too strong for me. I got pushed into a corner after a barrier was placed on the path forward. Three archers hit me all at once, so I didn't have much time to react before they got me."

"Then you should stay away from that forest until you've gotten stronger, or at least bring Forte. Everyone would be worried sick you got really hurt out there."

"Everyone? Would that happen to include you by any chance?"

Doug's cheeks flared up with bright red, causing him to turn away. "H-Huh?! Oh, shut up! Like I'd care!"

"Aw, really Doug? You can be truthful with me."

"I am being truthful! Ugh, just pay for the seeds already." He said, flustered.

"Right, okay I'll shut up. Here's the money, and I'm off to planting now!" A large grin sprouted across Frey's face as her turned to the door, waving to Doug.

_**Bye Big Brother. I'm off to the garden now!**_

_Arya… Why can't I just push you to the corner of my mind now? It was so easy these past three years; I swore I wouldn't think of it until I could see you again. Is it because of Frey?_

Dumbfounded, Doug stared solemnly at the window, the store now empty. But only 10 minutes would pass before another customer would appear. One, not entirely welcomed by the current shop watcher.

"What the hell are you doing here, bastard?!" He glared in anger, the prospect of what might happen if Blossom walked in terrifying him.

"I'm here to give you your next objective." The Sechs Soldier's eyes told that he wouldn't leave with a 'no', and he was prepared to stay as long as it took. "Since you decided not to go on the mission to sneak onto the airship, you will now look for the Rune Spheres that have been scattered through Selphia."

"That means the mission was a huge failure, doesn't it? Ha! I see why you needed me to come along now. Your men are way too incompetent to handle such a big job on their own."

"… Yes, this one time I will admit you are right. Lord Ethelberd had truly expected to go along with his orders, so when you declined while all the other top operatives were off on other missions, we had to send two buffoons unfit for the job." The soldier admitted sourly.

"Well aren't you being rather open today? But I got to say, purposely sending two idiots on an important mission like this? That's a stupid move even for you Empire goons."

"Don't you worry about what we're doing. We already executed those two clowns on grounds of failure of a crucial mission." He coldly stated.

"I see you're still as callous as ever, though." Doug did a quick scan through the window, checking to see if anyone would enter. He estimated no more than 5 minutes until Blossom returned from her morning tea with Volcanon, so he needed to get the soldier out quick. Although even he wouldn't completely blow Doug's cover, he could still make things rough for him in other ways. "But I'll accept the second objective. It's not like I have much choice in the matter, anyways. Even I know when I'm backed into the corner, and his almighty Majesty won't let me walk away from an objective two times."

"You're actually pretty smart when you're pushed against the wall like this." The soldier remarked with a wide smirk, enjoying the new glimmer of hatred in Doug's eyes. "There are four in total. They were scattered from the skies not far from Selphia. One has been confirmed in Yokmir Forest, but our other men are unable to get close to it without arousing the Native Dragon's awareness."

"That's all I'm getting? You're only confirming one area?"

"Deal with it, dwarf. Unless of course you'd like to feel the Fos Ring on Level 9, right now." He shot another commanding glare to Doug.

"L-Level 9?! N-No, not here…" Much to the soldier's disappointment, the glimmer in Doug's eyes gave way to fear and new emotion of worry.

"Very well then. I'll check again on Summer 10, so work hard dwarf." He gave one final glare before leaving, disappearing into the crowd as he went. Doug was once again alone in the shop.

_Great, now I'll have to make a trip to Yokmir Forest tomorrow. Of course, I do have until Summer 10 until he actually comes back. But there's really no reason I should just sit on it either. _

"Frey said she got beat up pretty badly when she went to Yokmir Forest before. I can't bring anyone with me like she probably will, so I'll have to use other methods to ensure I don't wind up dead out there." He pondered over his options, thinking of each one carefully. "Oh, I can use that Fireball tome Kiel gave me! I'm not all that great at using magic, but it should be sufficient to take out any monsters that get in my way."

_Today's Tuesday, so my next free day is Thursday. That'll give me enough time to get ready._

…

A soft breeze blew though Yokmir Forest as Doug ventured forward. At 14:00, the sun was high and shined down on the trees. It had been three hours since Doug had set off, but since then he had seen many monsters, including the archers Frey had mentioned. However, they were no match for his own Defender sword much to his surprise. He soon realized that he had forgotten that Frey was not very adept at combat as she had only been honing it for the past week. So in effect, bringing his Fireball Tome was unnecessary as his sword was more than enough to fell his enemies. Bringing a second even more unnecessary. Maybe he should just give it away.

Doug walked further and further into the depths of Yokmir Forest. He soon stopped to rest at a stream after dispersing of the Gate in the area. The clear water felt cool against his feet as he waded in. Riverbed sand moved between his toes, reminding of his trip to Selphia. Three years ago, he set out on his path of revenge. He wonders faintly as to what has changed since then.

The young dwarf continues on half an hour later, and comes across sounds of a battle. Some ways to his front, he could hear the noise of a sword being repelled, along with the impact of a strong kick. Even from back here, Doug can tell that one side is being quickly overpowered by the other and runs forward the noise.

_What could possibly be fighting so intensely all the way out here?!_

He ran faster towards the sound, but soon the source dissipated. The unseen battle had already ended as quickly as it began. The sight came into view, and before him was Frey and Forte over an unconscious girl.

"Forte, what should I do about this girl?"Frey asked, clearly confused, to Forte.

"I'm not entirely sure. First of all, how did this girl transform from a butterfly monster to a human? Monsters turning into humans, the concept is unfathomable!" She thought intently, and tried to clear her mind, but it proved difficult with all the nonsensical events right in front of her. "When I agreed to escort you through Yokmir Forest, I never thought something as crazy as this would happen!"

"Yeah, me neither. Could it be she was the one who was calling to me…?" She whispered to herself.

"Oough…" The unconscious girl moaned.

"H-Hey! Are you okay?!"

"Huh? You have… a funny face." The girl remarked, giggling, before falling asleep again.

"What?"

All the while, Doug stood back a distance, listening to their conversation. _Maybe now's a good time to drop in. I shouldn't act too suspicious, especially since Forte's here. Frey may not think much of me being here, but someone like her could pick up on the little things._

"What's wrong?" Doug innocently asked while entering into the two's views.

"Doug?!" Frey nearly cried in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I would like to know as well. Why are you wondering in such a dangerous place by yourself?" Fortes questioned, but with worry instead of suspicion much to his surprise.

"Just walking by after helping Granny prepare the shop, you know? But forget me…" Doug walked up to the unconscious hair, who he now noticed had light green hair and looked rather young. She had no exterior form of injury to show of. In fact, it looked more like she was just taking a nap. "Who's this?"

"We have no idea. Should we take her back to the village?"

"Yeah, that's probably the best idea. She'd be killed for sure if we just left her like this." Doug agreed, all the while scanning the area which seemed to burst at the seams with runes.

"That's fine with me. I'd be beside myself if I allowed such a young and defenseless girl to die out here anyway." Forte also decided. " I'll carry her. You two clear a path through Yokmir Forest for me." She carefully mounted the green haired girl on her back, effectively leaving her unable to properly wield her sword.

"Okay. Frey, leave the frontlines to me. This is man's work, you know? Protecting the helpless girl and all." Doug bravely stated, holding a strong front.

"Hey, I can fight too! Maybe not on your level, but I can help too!" Frey fiercely interjected.

"Right, right. I was just joking, okay? Well, we should be going. The sun's going to set within the hour, so we should hurry."

**Look at all the flowers, big brother. Aren't they pretty?**

"Arya?!" Her familiar voice reverberated loudly in his head, sending his mind into a spiral of confusion. Where the hell is this coming from?!

"Huh? What about that tourist, Doug?" Frey asked unknowingly.

"Tourist?" _Oh, right. Frey thinks Arya is a tourist I met today. _"Ugh, nothing. Just thought I saw her here. But it's just a tree, so let's get going."

"That's enough fooling around, you two." Forte shouted, already out of the floriated room. "Remember, dusk sets in the hour. We must return to Selphia before then."

"Right!" The two said together.

The trio started their way out of the forest, going as fast a pace as they could. Forte stayed behind Doug, while Frey kept close to the dragon knight. Although many of the gates had been dispersed by their entering of the area, small pockets of monsters still remained.

"Frey, leave the archers to me! I'll redirect their fire, while you get rid of the close-range Orcs!" Doug ordered to the less experienced combatant. He quickly sprinted ahead, with his sword shifted to his side. The archer sent several arrows at him, but Doug's stronger shield held up to the flimsy projectiles. He closed in and swiftly sent the Archer to the Forest of Beginnings with just one slash. Glancing behind him, he saw Frey struggling with two Orcs, and contemplated running behind to help her. However, she too dispatched her assailants giving Doug a moment of relieve.

"Good job, you two. We're almost out of the forest. Just a little ways out and we'll be Selphia Plains. Once there, we'll be able to run straight to the castle." Forte said from the rear.

They managed to travel out to the main entrance of Yokmir Forest without anymore interference, just before dusk fell. The plains became dyed in orange and pink as the Sun fell, creating a very scenic view. Only a few nonaggressive Woolies greeted them on the grass laden with the final lights of the day.

"All right, we made it out!" Frey cheered happily to the others. "And just in time to see the sunset, too."

"Yes, it can be quite beautiful this time of day." Forte added.

"Ha ha, right. The sunset can be really pretty."

**The eternal dusk that sets perpetual… The last light of the day hangs heavy on all. The one you have yet to escape from. The one who stole the Dusk's Hope from you, will you raise blade, white hot with hatred, to retrieve your lost time? Or will you stay still, the same as the three years gone, and hang forever trapped in that night tinted crimson?**

**I want to see your answer, Big Brother. **

**Very soon.**


End file.
